Rotary engine.



N6. 866,246. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. J. o. WALKER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

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'fi? wi 6 PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. J. c. WALKER. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 30, 190".

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A. ljmyiig JAMES C. WALKER, OF WAGO, TEXAS.

ROTARY ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed April 30,1907- Serial No- 371,144.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. WAL ER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Rotary Steam-Engine, of which. the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to rotary engines, and the particular object is to provide a simple, novel and effective structure, in which steam, air, explosive charges or the like may be employed as a motive fluid, novel abutment mechanism being employed, which will permit the ready passage of the piston during the operation of the engine.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l. is a vertical sectional view through the structure. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view. Fig. 3 also is a cross sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the piston head. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view therethrough. Figv 6 is a lace view of one of the packing plates employed.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, a casing is employed, comprising wall sections 9 bolted together at their peripheries, as shown at 10. The casing has the usual piston chamber 11, and also has an enlarged abutment.

chamber 12, one wall of this abutment chamber being preferably detachable, as shown at 13 in order to give access to the interior thereof and to the abutment. The rear wall of the abutment chamber is inclined, as shown at 14, and carried by said wall is a suitable pack ing strip 15, the same being cut away on opposite sides of the piston chamber. A swinging abutment 16 is pivoted in the abutment chamber, and the pivot 17 thereof is engaged in the sections 9 of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2. This abutment normally rests against the inclined wall and against the packing strip 15, but it is movable into the upper portion of the chamber and out of the piston chamber, as will be evident by reference to Fig. 1. Secured to its rear side and contiguous to its upper end is a rearwardly bowed leaf spring 18, the lower end of which is free and spaced from said abutment, said spring thus normally being located in the piston chamber 11.

A suitable engine shaft 19 extends through the easing, and mounted thereon is a piston cbmprising a body 20 having a dovetail socket 21 in its peripheral portion. A head 22 has a dovetail 23 fitted in the socliet 21, and this head hasa concaved seat 24 in its rear side. The head is of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the piston chamber, and secured in the seat 24 are a plurality of packing plates 25. As shown in Fig. 6, these plates are preferably thin metal disks radially slotted as shown at 26, thereby forming wings 27. The plates are dished when in position, and consequently the radial margins of the Wings will be overlapped. These plates arepreferably held together by rivets 28, and are held to the head by a central bolt 29.

They are of greater diameter than the head 22, and thus snugly engage the walls of the piston chamber. Carried upon the front side of the head is a leaf spring 30 that has its outer end fastened. to the outer end of the head, and has its inner end spaced from said head and arranged to engage the spring 18.

Motive fluid, which may be of any desired character, is admitted through a suitable pipe or conduit 31 into the outer end of the abutment chamber 12 behind the abutment 16, and an exhaust 32 has its inlet port 33 communicating with the piston chamber on the opposite side of the abutment. In this connection, it is to be noted that the port 33, as shown in Fig. 1, is a sufficient distance away from the abutment to permit the piston head to assume a position between said port and the abutment prior to the operation of the abutment. This is an important feature, as hereinafter disclosed. I

In the operation of this engine, the motive fluid, admitted through the conduit 31 to the abutment chamber, holds said abutment against its seat, and operating against the piston head, causes the same to rotate in the piston chamber. The force of the motive fiuid serves to spread out the packing plates of said piston head, and thus secures a practically steam-tight joint. As the piston thus rotates, the spring 30 thereof will engage the spring 18 of the abutment, and consequently will yieldingly transmit motion from said piston to the abutment, swinging the latter into its elevated position, and permitting the piston to pass.

But before the abutment raises, the piston head will assume a position between the exhaust 33 and the abutment 16. As a result, the motive fluidwill exhaust behind the piston head, and remove the pressure against the abutment, thereby permitting said abutment to raise without material resistance, the supply of motive fiuid having been previously cut off by any suitable means. As soon as the piston has passed the abutment, the said abutment is forced back to its seat by the motive fluid, and the operation is repeated.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled claim as new,.ancl desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: 1

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing having a piston chamber and an enlarged abutment chamber, of a packing located against one wall of the chamber,

a swinging abutment pivoted in the enlarged chamber andmovahle from the same to a position against the packing and across the piston chamber, and a rotary pistonoperating in the piston chamber.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing comprising sections, said casing having a piston chamber, and an enlarged abutment chamber, the latter being provided" with an inclined rear wall, of a packing strip carried by said wall, a swinging abutment, a pivot for the abutment engaging the sections of the casing, said abutment being movable in the abutment chamber to a position against the packing strip and across the piston chamber, and a rotary piston operating in the piston chamber.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a rotary piston member, of a movable abutment member coiiperat ing therewith, and yielding devices carried respectively by the piston member and abutment member, the device of the former engaging that 'of the latter to transmit motion from the piston member to the abutment member.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination with a rotary piston member, of a swinging abutment member cooperating therewith, a spring secured to the rear side of the abutment member, and a spring secured to the front side of the piston member and engaging the spring of the abutment member to transmit motion therethrough from the piston to the abutment.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing having a piston chamber, of a rotary piston operating therein, said piston including a head, and a plurality of dished plates secured to the head and located one behind the other, said head operating in the chamber.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing having a piston chamber, of a rotary piston operating therein, said piston including a head, and a plurality of dished plates secured'to the head and located one behind the other, said plates having slots that are disposed out of vhaving a piston chamber, of a rotary piston operating therein, said piston including a head, and a dished plate.

radially slitted and forming overlapped wings, said plate being secured to the head andoperating in the abutment chamber.

9. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing having a piston chamber, of a rotary piston operating in the chamber, said piston comprising a body having a dovetail socket, a head having a dovetail that is engaged in the socket, and a dished plate secured to the head.

10. In a rotary engine, the combination with a casing comprising sections, said casing having a piston chamber and, an abutment chamber communicating therewith, a swinging abutment operating in the abutment chamber and having a spring on its rear side, means for introducing motive fluid into the abutment chamber and through the same into the piston chamber, a rotary piston operating in the piston chamber and including a head, a, plurality of radially slitted dished plates secured to the head, the

slits of one plate being disposed out of alinement with the slits of the adjacent plate, and a spring carried by the front side of the head and operating against the spring of the abutment to swing said abutment out of the path of movement of the piston.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES c. WALKER. 

